Gutter cover

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a gutter cover formed of sheet metal, with perforations in the cover deck for passage of water. The prism shaped perforations allow water to pass even when blocked by leaves, and is self-cleaning from winds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to gutters and gutter covers,and more specifically relates to a gutter cover formed in a machine thatfabricates the gutter cover from a continuous strip of sheet metal.

1. Background Information

Gutters are structures that are placed at the edges of the roofs ofbuildings to capture the runoff water from the roof, and to direct thewater to a place where the water is discharged. Gutters serve thepurpose of removing the drip zone from around the perimeter ofbuildings, and concentrating the runoff water into one location. Thislocation can then be directed so that the water is disposed of safely,such as at a distance from the foundation of the building or into astorm water disposal system. There are a large number of types ofgutters that are adjacent to the roof edges of buildings. These includeplastic gutters that are sections that snap together, gutters that snaptogether by the use of a joining strip and gutters that are built to runthe entire length of a section of roofline. Gutters are made of variousmaterials including plastic and metal. The metal can be painted to matchthe trim of a building, and it can also be a stock color such as green,brown or white. Gutters can also be made of copper or other materials.

Gutters can take a number of configurations, but are generally aU-shaped channel that collects water and directs it to an exit point.There are also a number of covers that fit over the gutters that areavailable. Some gutter covers attach to the top edges of the gutter,some gutter covers attach to the roof under the last row of shingles onthe roof, and some gutter covers attach to the fascia below the edge ofthe roof. There are a number of gutters that are available, and a numberof ways of making those gutters.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a guttercover that attaches securely to a gutter edge in a way that reinforcesand strengthens the gutter assembly. It is a further object of theinvention to provide a gutter cover that is made from a continuous stripof sheet metal. It is a further object of the invention to provide agutter cover forming machine that makes gutter covers out of acontinuous strip of sheet metal. Another object is to make a gutterassembly that includes a gutter cover, and does not require the use ofan additional bracket other than that used in a non-covered gutter.Another object is to make a gutter cover that attaches to an existinggutter and does not require the use of an additional bracket.

Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbe set forth in part in the description which follows and in part willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of thefollowing or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectsand advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means ofthe instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One version of the invention is a gutter cover for use with a gutter.The gutter would typically be placed on fascia at the roof edge of astructure. The gutter that the gutter cover would be used with wouldhave a gutter inner wall, a gutter floor and a gutter outer wall with alip on the outer wall. The gutter cover of the invention includes acover deck with perforations, a cover inner wall attached to said coverdeck for mounting to the fascia of the structure, and an L-shaped coverouter wall attached to the outer side of the cover deck, which includesa generally vertical riser and a generally horizontal cover lip. Thecover lip fits adjacent to the gutter lip and is designed to be attachedto the gutter lip, such as by screws. The gutter cover is typicallyconfigured so that it may be mounted so the cover deck is at a downwardangle toward the gutter outer wall. This is accomplished by the coverinner wall being at the appropriate angle to the cover deck to allow thecover deck to be sloping after installation. The perforations includemultiple rows of first perforations adjacent to the cover inner wall andmay also include one or more rows of second perforations adjacent to thevertical riser. The second perforations are larger than the firstperforations, and preferably there is an unperforated area in the coverdeck between the two groups of perforations. The perforations may bepart of a generally triangular prismatic depression formed in the metal,with a longitudinal perforation at the apex of the triangular prismdepression. This configuration of perforations has been found toeffectively isolate the gutter from debris, and to be self-cleaning.This configuration of perforations allows water to pass through thegutter cover, even when leaves fall on the perforations. Theperforations are self-cleaning by wind action removing leaves from thegutter cover after the leaves have dried out. The size of theperforations can vary, but perforations of ½ to 2 inches function well,with 1 inch being the preferred length.

When the cover deck is mounted at a downward sloping angle towards thegutter outer wall, the vertical riser of the cover outer wall forms areservoir or basin for holding water on the cover deck. This reservoiror water basin allows water to pool on the cover deck if it is not ableto drain through the perforations fast enough.

Another embodiment of the invention is a gutter cover configured asdescribed above, which is made from a strip of sheet metal that ispressed between perforation rollers. The perforation rollers perform thefunction of forming the perforations in the strip of sheet metal. Theperforation rollers consist of a first roller with a first rollersurface, which has a number of projections that form ridges thatcircumvolve the roller. There are spaces between the projections in eachridge. The second perforation roller has a second roller surface, with anumber of grooves or depressions that correspond to the ridges of thefirst perforation roller. The perforation rollers are held together sothat the first and second rollers' surfaces are adjacent to each other,so that when a strip of sheet metal is fed between the two perforationrollers, the projections of the first perforation roller press into thegrooves or depression of the second perforation roller, and the sheetmetal between them is perforated by the projections.

The above gutter cover is preferably made so that the perforations takethe form of generally linear slots, and are arranged in parallel rows.The projections on the first roller may take the form of generallytriangular prisms with sloped or tapered ends. The sloped or taperedends serve the function of disengaging from the sheet metal cleanly sothat the sheet metal does not become snagged on the projections. Byhaving the projections be in the form of triangular prisms with slopedor tapered ends, the perforations thus made are linear slots at the apexof a triangular prismatic depression, and are arranged in parallel rows.

Another embodiment of the invention is a machine that forms guttercovers. The gutter cover forming machine includes a frame on which othercomponents are mounted. Attached to the frame are a first perforationroller and a second perforation roller. Both perforation rollers have afirst roller surface and a second roller surface, which are mountedadjacent to each other. The first perforation roller has a number ofprojections that form multiple ridges that circumvolve the firstperforation roller. There are typically spaces between the projectionsin each ridge. The second perforation roller includes a number ofdepressions or grooves, which correspond to the ridges or projections ofthe first perforation roller.

The gutter cover forming machine includes a motor for driving the firstand second perforation rollers. The first and second perforation rollersare positioned on the frame so that the roller surfaces are adjacent toeach other so that when a strip of sheet metal is fed between the tworollers, the projections of the first perforation rollers press into thegrooves of the second perforation roller and the sheet metal betweenthem is perforated by the projections.

The gutter cover forming machine described above may additionallyinclude a pair of feed rollers that grip the sheet of metal and propelit through the machine. The gutter cover forming machine may alsoinclude one or more forming rollers for bending the strip of sheet metalinto desired shapes as it passes through the machine. One operation withthe forming rollers can be to form an inside edge that is angled fromthe cover deck. Another forming operation can be to form an L-shapedouter edge that is attached to an angle from the cover deck. The guttercover forming machine may also include one or more guides for aligningand guiding the strip of sheet metal as it passes through the machine.The guides can take the form of rollers that press against the lateraledges of the strip of sheet metal. The guides can also take the form ofanother type of guide such as a metal bar or an L-shaped section.

The gutter cover forming machine can be designed so that the projectionson the first perforation roller form generally linear perforations inthe sheet metal as it is formed into a gutter cover. The linearperforations are preferably in the shape of a triangular prism, withsloping or tapered edges. The perforation through the sheet metal itselfwould be found at the apex of the triangular prism. The projections onthe first perforation roller are preferably triangular prismatic inshape with tapered edges, so that the projections and sheet metalseparate cleanly.

The gutter cover forming machine described above is preferablyconfigured to produce a gutter cover from a piece of sheet metal, withthe gutter cover having an upturned inside edge, a generally flat coverdeck and an upturned L-shaped outside edge with a vertical riser and agenerally horizontal cover lip. The vertical riser and the cover lip aregenerally L-shaped and attach to the cover deck of the gutter cover in agenerally perpendicular angle. The inside edge of the gutter cover isattached to the opposite edge of the cover deck and is generallyperpendicular to the cover deck. The gutter cover forming machine istypically configured to utilize strips of sheet metal from a roll, withthe roll attached to or mounted adjacent to the frame. The gutter coverforming machine may also have a cut-off device for cutting off a sectionof formed gutter cover. The cut off device can take a number ofconfigurations and may be a guillotine type cutter, or may be poweredsheers; a power saw or other automated cutting or sawing devices.

Although the gutter cover forming machine would typically be used in ashop, it could easily be mounted to a vehicle such as a truck or atrailer, and could be utilized on a work site. The machine can beoutfitted with a support table that is positioned adjacent to the frame.The support table would serve to support a section of gutter cover asthey came out of the machine. Preferably the cover tray would include alength selection device, which an operator could use to select how longa particular section of gutter cover would be. A sensor associated withthe tray would sense when a length of gutter cover had been made at theselected length. When the chosen length was reached, the gutter coverwould be cut off at the selected length. This would preferably be donewhen the machine had stopped. The selected length of gutter cover couldbe sensed by a light sensor, a laser sensor, or a mechanical limitswitch that is tripped by the gutter cover.

Another embodiment of the invention is as a gutter assembly thatincludes a gutter body and a gutter cover joined together. The gutterassembly is for placement on the fascia at the roof edge of a structure.The gutter body includes a gutter inner wall, a gutter floor, a gutterouter wall with the gutter outer wall having a gutter lip. The guttercover attaches to the gutter body, and includes a cover deck withperforations for the passage of water through the cover deck into thegutter body. The gutter cover also includes a cover inner wall attachedto the cover deck and is configured for attachment to the fascia of thestructure. The gutter cover also includes a cover outer wall configuredfor attachment to the gutter lip of the gutter outer wall. When thegutter cover is attached to the gutter body, a unitary tubular gutterassembly is formed.

The gutter assembly described above can also include a number of gutterbody brackets that attach to the fascia and to the gutter outer wall.Preferably these attach to the inside of the gutter lip on the outerwall of the gutter body.

The gutter cover outer wall is generally L-shaped, and has a verticalriser and a generally horizontal cover lip. The gutter cover isconfigured so that when mounted, the cover deck slopes at an angle awayfrom the fascia of the structure towards the gutter lip of the outerwall of the gutter body. Because of this slope and because of theL-shaped cover outer wall, a reservoir for holding water is formed. Ifmore water falls on the cover deck than can pass through theperforations, the cover deck forms a reservoir to hold the water untilit can pass through the perforations.

The purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the United StatesPatent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection, the nature and essence of the technical disclosureof the application. The Abstract is neither intended to define theinvention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is itintended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomereadily apparent to those skilled in this art from the followingdetailed description wherein I have shown and described only thepreferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration ofthe best mode contemplated by carrying out my invention. As will berealized, the invention is capable of modification in various obviousrespects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, thedrawings and description of the preferred embodiment are to be regardedas illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in nature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gutter cover and a gutter assembly ofthe invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the gutter cover and the gutter assembly of theinvention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the gutter cover of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the gutter cover forming machine of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the perforation forming part of thegutter cover forming machine of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the gutter cover forming machine showing a sidetable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof havebeen shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit theinvention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, theinvention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, andequivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in the claims.

FIG. 1 shows the gutter cover 10 of the invention. It is shown mountedin FIG. 1 to a gutter body 22, and the gutter cover and the gutter bodytogether form an embodiment of the invention; the gutter assembly 6. Thegutter cover 10 includes an inside edge 14 that is attached to a coverdeck 12. Opposite the inside edge 14 is an outer edge 16, also attachedto the cover deck 12. The outer edge 16 includes a generally verticalriser 17 and a generally horizontal cover lip 20. On the cover deck 12are located a number of perforations 18. As shown in FIG. 1, thepreferred, but not the sole, embodiment of the perforations 18 is forthem to be in parallel rows. Optionally, one of the rows can include anumber of second perforations 19 which are larger than the firstperforations 18, with a separation from the rows of first perforations18. The gutter cover 10 is attached to fascias 62 of a building at theedge of a roof, and below the drip edge of the roof. The gutter cover 10is attached to the gutter 22 at the gutter lip 74. The gutter includes agutter inner wall 76, a gutter floor 78, a gutter outer wall 80 and agutter lip 74, and may include a bracket 84. The angle of the guttercover can be variable, driven by the particular fascia or surface it isto be mounted on. The figures show the gutter cover being mounted at asloping angle from the fascia, and this angle is variable, and can bemounted so that the gutter cover is flat.

The gutter cover 10 is preferably made of sheet metal with a thicknessdictated by the material it is made of, and the particular applicationit is made for. By way of example, if made of aluminum for residentialgutters, a thickness might be 0.027 to 0.032 inches. If made ofgalvalume for residential gutters, a thickness might be 26 to 29 gauge.If made of copper for residential gutters, a thickness might be 16 oz to20 oz copper. The preferred types of metal include copper, aluminum, andgalvalume, because these materials do not rust at the perforations.However, other suitable metals or plastics could be used.

The gutter cover 10 is attached to the fascia 62 using attachment screws82. Attachment screws 82 can also be used to attach the outer edge 16 ofthe gutter cover 10 to the gutter lip 74.

FIG. 2 shows the gutter cover 10 mounted to the gutter body 22 mountedon the fascia 62 of a building. The gutter assembly 6 includes a bracket84, which is attached by an attachment screw 82 to the gutter inner wall76 and the fascia 62.

FIG. 3 shows the preferred configuration of perforations 18 and 19 onthe cover deck 12. The preferred perforation is generally a triangularprism shape with an opening in the sheet metal of the gutter cover 10 atthe peak of the prism. This results in a generally rectangular openingsurrounded by a sloping region on all four sides of the opening itself Apreferred opening size is about 1/16 inch to ⅛ inch. A row of largerperforations 19 are preferred in addition to the smaller openings, asshown in the figures.

The invention is also a gutter assembly 6, which is the combinedstructure formed of the gutter cover 10 and the gutter 22, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. It includes a bracket 84.

The invention is also a gutter cover forming machine 4 as shown in FIG.4. The gutter cover forming machine 4 includes a frame 48 in which thecomponents of the gutter cover forming machine are mounted. The deviceincludes a motor 44, which powers a drive gear 46. The drive gear 46turns two separate loops of chain, the feed roller chain 30 and theperforation roller chain 31. As the drive gear 46 rotates clockwise inthe view seen in FIG. 4, the perforation roller chain 31 first passesover the entry gear 40. It then passes over the second perforationroller drive gear 38, which is attached to the second perforation roller34. As the chain passes over it it causes the second perforation roller34 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction in the view seen in FIG.4. The chain then passes over the first perforation roller drive gear36, which is attached to the first perforation roller 32. This roller ismade to turn clockwise. The chain 30 then passes over the exit gear 42and returns to the drive gear 46. Thus, rotation of this gear in aclockwise direction causes the two perforation rollers to rotatetogether in a manner that perforates a strip of sheet metal 58 andsimultaneously pulls the sheet metal from right to left through themachine in the view shown in FIG. 4. The sheet metal 58 is unwound froma sheet metal roll 56.

The dimensions of the sheet metal used to make the gutter cover andgutter are variable depending on the particular installation. Somegutters are very wide, but residential gutters are narrower. A typicalrange of width of sheet metal for the gutter cover is 5.5 to 8 incheswide. This results in a gutter cover that is compatible with gutters 22that are generally used on residential installations.

The preferred perforation rollers in the machine that makes the guttercovers are sized according to the width of gutter covers being formed,and depend on the material being used.

The drive gear 46 also causes the rotation of a first and second feedroller 24 and 26 through a feed roller drive gear 28. The rubber coveredfeed rollers grip the sheet metal strip 58, and by frictional contactpush it towards the perforation rollers 32 and 34. Shown in this view isalso a guide roller 70, which is positioned to keep the sheet metalstrip 58 aligned as it passes through the device. More than one of theguide rollers 70 may be used in order to guide the sheet metal. Theguides for the sheet metal can also be devices other than rollers, suchas stationary metal bars, cylinders, angle iron or metal strips. Alsoshown is a pair of forming rollers 86. The forming rollers 86 shape thesheet metal strip 58 into desired contours. In the preferred embodimentthis includes an angled inside edge 14 and an L-shaped outside edge 16,as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The forming rollers may be covered in plasticto aid in forming the desired shapes.

FIG. 5 shows a view of the end of the gutter cover forming machine 4,showing more detail of the first perforation roller 32 and the secondperforation roller 34. The first perforation roller 32 includesprojections 54 which correspond with grooves 52 in the secondperforation roller 34. Shown in FIG. 5 are the perforation roller chain31, the entry gear 40, the second perforation roller drive gear 38, thefirst perforation roller drive gear 36 and the exit gear 42. A motor 44is shown, and the drive gear 46 is not visible behind the motor 44. As astrip of sheet metal passes between the rollers 32 and 34, it becomesperforated by the projections 54. In operation, the perforation rollersgrab the sheet metal of the gutter cover and pull it through theprocess.

FIG. 6 shows the gutter cover forming machine 4 with a support table 68mounted along side it. The support table 68 has a length sensor 72 thatdetects when a gutter cover of a chosen length has been extended outonto the support table 68. The length sensor 72 can be a photo cell, alaser sensing device, or a mechanical limit switch that detects thepresence of a strip of gutter cover material that extends out from thegutter cover forming machine 4. Other control sensor types can also beused. When the length sensor 72 detects a gutter cover of the selectedlength, the machine has a cutter 64 that cuts off the sheet metal of thegutter cover. The preferable sequence for doing this is to first stopthe gutter cover forming machine 4 in order for the cutter 64 to cut thegutter cover at the chosen length. The cutter 64 can be a shear, aguillotine type cutter, a saw or other type of cutter. The version ofthe cutter 64 shown in FIG. 6 is powered by a hydraulic cylinder 66, butthe cutter can take a number of configurations. A safety is preferablyincluded which prevents restart of the machine until the cut off isdisengaged.

While there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention isnot limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within thescope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it willbe apparent that various changes may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

1. A gutter cover for use with a gutter placed on fascia at the roofedge of a structure, said gutter having a gutter inner wall, a gutterfloor, a gutter outer wall, and a gutter lip on said outer wall, saidgutter cover comprising: a cover deck with a plurality of perforations;a cover inner wall, attached to said cover deck, for mounting to saidfascia; an L-shaped cover outer wall, attached to said cover deck, witha generally vertical riser and a generally horizontal cover lip, withsaid cover lip for attachment to said gutter lip.
 2. The gutter cover ofclaim 1 in which said cover deck is configured to be installed at adownward angle toward said vertical riser.
 3. The gutter cover of claim1 in which said perforations in said gutter cover are in the form ofprism shaped depressions pressed into the material of the cover deck. 4.The gutter cover of claim 1 in which said cover deck perforationsinclude multiple rows of first perforations adjacent to said cover innerwall, and at least one row of second perforations adjacent to saidvertical riser, with said second perforations being larger than saidfirst perforations.
 5. The gutter cover of claim 1 in which said coverinner wall and said vertical riser form a water basin with said coverdeck in which water can pool before it drains through said perforations.6. A gutter cover for use with a gutter placed on fascia at the roofedge of a structure, said gutter having a gutter inner wall, a gutterfloor, a gutter outer wall, and a gutter lip on said outer wall, saidgutter cover comprising: a cover deck with a plurality of generallyprism shaped perforations pressed into said cover deck; a cover innerwall, attached to said cover deck, for mounting to said fascia; anL-shaped cover outer wall, attached to said cover deck, with a generallyvertical riser and a generally horizontal cover lip, with said cover lipfor attachment to said gutter lip.
 7. The gutter cover of claim 6 inwhich said cover deck perforations include multiple rows of firstperforations adjacent to said cover inner wall, and at least one row ofsecond perforations adjacent to said vertical riser, with said secondperforations being larger than said first perforations.
 8. The guttercover of claim 6 in which said cover inner wall and said vertical riserform a water basin with said cover deck in which water can pool beforeit drains through said perforations.
 9. A gutter cover made from a stripof sheet metal that is pressed between two rollers, comprising a firstroller having a first roller surface, and a number of generally prismshaped projections that form ridges circumvolving the first roller, withspaces between the projections in each ridge, and a second roller with asecond roller surface, and with a number of grooves corresponding to theridges of the first roller, with the rollers held together so that theroller surfaces are adjacent to each other, so that when a strip ofsheet metal is fed between the two rollers, the projections of the firstroller press into the grooves of the second roller, and the sheet metalbetween them is perforated by the projections.
 10. The gutter cover ofclaim 9, in which said perforations are linear slots, arranged inparallel rows.
 11. The gutter cover of claim 9, in which saidprojections on said first roller are in the form of triangular prismswith sloped ends, so that the tapered perforations are linear slots atthe apex of a prismatic depression, arranged in parallel rows.
 12. Thegutter cover of claim 9, which further comprises a deck, with saidperforations positioned on said deck, and an inside edge that is angledfrom the deck, and an outside edge that is angled from the deck, forinterfitting relationship with a gutter inside wall and a gutter outsidewall.
 13. A gutter cover forming machine comprising: a frame forsupporting said gutter cover forming machine; a first perforation rollerattached to said frame, having a first roller surface, and a number ofprojections that form multiple ridges that circumvolve the first roller,with spaces between the projections in each ridge; a second perforationroller attached to said frame, with a second roller surface, and with anumber of grooves corresponding to the ridges of the first roller; oneor more motors for driving the first and second perforation rollers;wherein the first and second rollers are positioned on said frame sothat the roller surfaces are adjacent to each other, so that when astrip of sheet metal is fed between the two rollers, the projections ofthe first roller are configured to press into the grooves of the secondroller, and the sheet metal between them is perforated by theprojections.
 14. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13, in whichsaid one or more motors is mounted on the frame.
 15. The gutter coverforming machine of claim 13 which further comprises a pair of feedrollers for feeding a strip of sheet metal through the machine.
 16. Thegutter cover forming machine of claim 13 which further comprises one ormore forming rollers for bending said strip of sheet metal into anangled shape from its flat original shape, as it passes through themachine.
 17. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13 which furthercomprises one or more pairs of guide rollers for aligning the strip ofsheet metal as it passes through the machine.
 18. The gutter coverforming machine of claim 13 in which the machine is configured to punchlinear perforations in a cover deck of the gutter cover.
 19. The guttercover forming machine of claim 18 in which the machine is configured toform, from a strip of sheet metal, a gutter cover with an upturned sidepiece on one side, and an upturned L-shaped side piece with a cover lipon the other side, the upturned side piece for attaching to the fasciaof a structure or the inside of a gutter, the cover lip for contacting aside of the gutter.
 20. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 19, inwhich said cover lip is configured to attach to the top of the gutter.21. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 20, in which said coverlip attaches to said top of the gutter by screws.
 22. The gutter coverforming machine of claim 13 in which the machine uses a strip of sheetmetal from a roll to form a gutter cover.
 23. The gutter cover formingmachine of claim 13 in which the machine has a cut-off device forcutting off a section of gutter cover.
 24. The gutter cover formingmachine of claim 23 in which the cut-off device for cutting off asection of gutter cover is a guillotine type cutter.
 25. The guttercover forming machine of claim 13 in which the gutter cover machine ismounted on a vehicle.
 26. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23which further includes a gutter cover support table adjacent the cutter,on which a section of gutter cover rests after being cut from the stripof sheet metal.
 27. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23 whichfurther includes a sensor to actuate said cutter for a selected lengthof gutter.
 28. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23 in whichsaid sensor is a light beam which is broken to activate said cutter. 29.The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23 in which said sensor is alaser that is broken to activate said cutter.
 30. The gutter coverforming machine of claim 23 in which said sensor is a mechanical limitswitch that activates said cutter.
 31. A gutter assembly, for placementon fascia at the roof edge of a structure, comprising: a gutter body,with a gutter inner wall, a gutter floor, a gutter outer wall, and agutter lip on said outer wall; a gutter cover, comprising a cover deckwith perforations for the passage of water into said gutter body, acover inner wall attached to said cover deck and configured forattachment to said fascia, and a cover outer wall, configured forattachment to said gutter lip of said gutter outer wall, forming aunitary tubular gutter assembly.
 32. The gutter assembly of claim 31,which further comprises a plurality of gutter body brackets, attached tosaid fascia and said gutter outer wall.
 33. The gutter assembly of claim31 in which said cover outer wall is L-shaped with a generally verticalriser and a generally horizontal cover lip.
 34. A gutter manufacturingsystem, for making gutters on site, comprising: a gutter body formingmachine, for forming a length of gutter body from a strip of sheetmetal; a gutter cover forming machine, for forming a length of guttercover from a strip of sheet metal; wherein said gutter body and saidgutter cover are configured for attachment to each other to form asealed flat roofed tubular gutter assembly, with perforations in saidcover desk to allow water to enter said gutter body, and for saidtubular gutter assembly to be configured for attachment to a fascia of abuilding.